English edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English forstraught, equivalent to for- +‎ straught (stretched). Compare bestraught, distraught, etc. More at for-, straught.

Adjective edit

forstraught (comparative more forstraught, superlative most forstraught)

  1. (obsolete, rare) Distracted.
    • a. 1770, Thomas Chatterton, “The storie of William Canynge”, in The Poetical Works of Thomas Chatterton[1], published 1890:
      My sense, forgard, could not run away, / But were not forstraught when she did alight
    • 2009, My Lord John[2], page 37:
      It was enough, Johanna said, to make the sely children forstraught.